Springfield man dies from injuries after being thrown from pickup truck bed

A 29-year-old Springfield man riding in the bed of a pickup truck was thrown from the vehicle Sunday evening in a crash and died at an area hospital, according to the Lane County Sheriff's Office.

Michael Primmer was in the bed of a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup registered in Florida that was involved in a single-vehicle crash at about 5:40 p.m. on Big Fall Creek Road near Fall Creek Reservoir, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Tom Speldrich said.

A preliminary investigation found the truck was traveling westbound on Big Fall Creek Road southeast of Eugene when it went off the road, down an embankment and lodged against a tree, Speldrich said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Some details of the crash have not been publicly released. No charges have been filed at this point.

It is illegal under Oregon law for a child under the age of 18 or a dog to ride in the bed of a truck unsecured, except in certain circumstances. It is not illegal for an adult to ride in the back of a truck unsecured if all the seatbelts in the vehicle are occupied.